Sign



y 27,'1938.v DBCRD I 2,141,344

SIGN

Filed Feb. 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

l Don B. Card,

Attorney.

D. B. ARD 2,141,344

SIGN

Filed Feb. 25, 19:7 2 vsheets-sheet 2 F9.17 11119.18 FigJQ Inventor.-

28 y Don B. Card, FigJG A @mam Attorney Patented Dec. 27, 1938 l UNITEDsTATEs PATENT oFFicE 11 Claims.

My 'invention relates to signs of the type ywherein revolving membersare employed `to produce certain illusory effects.

v The principal object of my invention is to proi vide a new medium forthe exploitation of the artist characterized by dynamic andthree-dimensional aspects.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will'be apparent in thefollowing discourse wherein the signicance of the reference numerals inthe Vaccompanying drawings, suggestive details of construction andoperationfof signs fembodying my invention, and the particularadvantages thereof are explained,

Figure 1 is a group of twenty-six characters intended torepresent'therespective letters of the alphabet in usual sequence.l

Figure 2 represents a4 complete .sign in eleva'- tion.

Figure 3 represents a'view of the top of the sign shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents al certain optical effect of the sign in operation.

Figure 5 is a/ diagram illustrative of va manner i of using the opticaleffect shown inFigure 4.'-

Figure 6 is a diagram illustrative of a variant treatment 'of the effectshown in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrative of the variation of density ofbrilliant-tube gas elements under' operating conditions.

Figure 8 representsa View in elevation-vof av Figure 11 represents thelegend element of a' sign made from neon-tube elements.

Figure 12 represents the optical effect of the sign shown in Figure 11in operation.

' Figure 13 represents the optical effect of a signponstructed todisplay superimposed words or characters.

Figure 14 is a diagram illustrative of a certain form of the topy viewof a sign producing the effect shown in Figure 13. K

Figure 15 is a .diagram illustrative of the form of the top viewof asign shown in several aspects in the Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19.

The characters chosen for. this luseas illustrated in Figure 1wererdesigned with two ends in View, namely, such'analogy to the Romanletters as would render them easily legibleand symmetry of form about amedian vertical axis. The

characters are plane guresor at least fiat fashioned forms having.lateral aspects oflines and similar obverse and reverse aspects assuggested in Figure 1.

These characters, when rotated, present identical forms to all points ofthe entire azimuth insofar as the human eye may detect, thus renderingthem legible fromA any point of the horizony from which aclear View maybe-had.

Figure 2 shows a sign displaying the word EAT, the separate charactersof which; are mounted on the median vertical axes, orA the axes ofsymmetry-thereof, upon a shaft l the lower end of which is attached to amotor 2 to provide for rotation -of thel sign.- The topmost surface kofthe upper letter is shown at Bin Figure 3. A

When this sign is in operation, that is in rapid rotation,the'characters present the appearance suggested in Figure 4. The morenearly central portions of -the'letter appear to-be of more solid colorand substance than do the extremities as 4,5,.6, and 1, due to thevariant lengths of time the-several portions are exhibitedto view. Thisis illustrated in Figure 10. A portion remote from the center ofrotation as 8 and of the thickness indicated would present an extremity-as 9 atfthe full radial dimension thereof only during itspassagethrough the relatively small arc of the magnitude a while a portionlocated on the line 1: would be presented at approximately the sameposition during its passage through a relatively greater-arc of themagnitude b.

Since angular magnitudesv in this instance are measuresof time, the morenearly central portions will remain in View for a longer time than thosemorey remotely positioned and the latter will present a more or lessdiaphanous aspect if the characters are made of uniform color. The,degree of transparency of the extremities as related to the centralportions may be effected in several ways. f

If the characters be made thicker as at I0 this' shading will belessabrupt as indicated by the relative angular magnitudes Ac and d.Also, the shading may be compensated by constructing letters with-radial surfaces as at H when the angular magnitudes le will heidentical for all portions.

The artist may take advantage of these effects to accentuate or modifycolor and shade effects to produce striking artistic balances of shadeand form in three dimensions. For example, the diaphanous portionsmay beincreased in size as suggested in Figure 5, or the same may be coloredin deeper or brighter hue as suggested in Figure 8.

In Figure 6 is shown a manner of modifying the form of the letter O madein a single shade'of color. In'Figure 7 Vthe effects of rapid rotationupon neon tubing are shown. Here the gas is compressed toward theextremities I2 and I3 and rareled at I4, I5, and I6, due to thecentrifugal forces involved. The effects of the varying clensities ofthe gas and the consequent modification v of electrical conductivity maybe availed of to produce novel effects; Y Y

My invention is not alone applicable to fashioned letter-forms but hascorresponding application to painted signs in which a single surface maybe used or a plurality thereof in angularly 1 spaced relationship asillustrated by the Figures 15 to 19, in which identical markingsidentically positioned with referenceV to axis of rotation mayl be used,or in which identical or complementary markingsmay be used to achievecertain mechanical or illusory advantages. Y

In Figure 11 a continuous neon tube extends upwardly from the terminusI'I along the course indicated with dots through the tube,l anddownwardly through the course indicated by the plain Y schemes for theexploitation Vof the artist.

' is inherent.

Such a use is illustrated in Figure 13 where two` words worked indifferent color havebeen disposed in two intersecting perpendicularsurfaces as shown in Figure 14 which represents the top of a signbearing the Words OILV and GAS Y as shown in Figure 13; the word "oilbeing disposed in the member I8 and the word gas being disposed in themember' I9. At certain portions as ZIJ in Figure 13 the two colors willblend while in other portions the colors retain the same tint as at 2|and 22.V Y"

In the sign illustrated in Figures 15 to19, two pieces of sheet metalVare joined to form-four surfaces indicated in Figure V15 at 23, 211,25, and 2E, which will appear to any beholder in the order of thereference numerals designating the same.v Each of these surfaces isseparately shown in the Figures 16 to 19 respectively.

The optical effect produced in thisV sign is characterized by motion ofsome of theV characters. The large dots as 2l appear to be emerging fromthe position of the dot 28 in Figure 16 and traveling in pairs inopposite directions outwardlyV to the respective positions 29 and 30 andthenceY upwardly along both sides of the sign tothe respective positions3l and 32, and finally to move inwardly to Vthe position 33'from whencethey disappear. This is accomplished by phasing the positions of thedots as is well understood. 'Y

In any sign of the kind employing plane reflecting surfaces, anothervaluable characteristicV proceeding from extraneous sources as 3G, 35,3S, and 37, are traced tothe respectiveV destinations the eye of anobserverV with butV slightly reduced brilliance. Since .the signrotates, these reflected rays will sweep the horizon and thus fafford anenhanced degree of illumination and Ahence ,visiwhichY said framerotates.

In Figure 9 the courses of light rays composed of the asymmetric lettersof the Roman alphabet associated withV the respective reverse formsthereof in symmetrical .arrangement and the symmetric letters lof theRoman alphabet.

2. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially fiat characters selectedfrom the general forms composed Vof the asymmetric letters of the Romanalphabet associated with the respective reverse forms thereof insymmetrical arrangement Yand the symmetric letters of the Roman alphabetwherein the axes of symmetry of said characters are coincident withthe'axis of rotation in a revolving sign. Y 3. A sign comprising,symmetrical substantially fiat characters composed of the obverse andreverse forms of VRoman lettering conjoined in symmetrical arrangement,and power means to support and rotate said characters about the axes ofsymmetry thereofywherein the said characters are finished in hues Vofvarying color values graded from the axes of symmetry outwardly.

4. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially fiat characters composedof the obverse and reverse forms of Roman lettering conjoined insymmetrical arrangement, and power means to support'and rotate saidcharacters about the axes of symmetry thereof, wherein the saidcharacters are finished in huesv of Varying color values graded from theaxes of symmetryoutwardly and the dimensions of the said characters areproportional to distances thereof from the axes of rotation.

5. A sign comprising, symmetrical substantially iiat characters composedof the obverse and reverse forms of Roman lettering conjoined insymmetrical arrangement, and power means to support and rotate saidcharacters about theY axes Yof symmetry thereof, wherein the saidcharacters Vmetrical characters.

'7. AV sign comprising, motor means, an openY frame rotatablyconnectedto said motor means disposed-remotely from theV axis `of rotationthereof, and symmetrical characters supported within said frameand'alig'ned with the axes of YVsymmetry thereof coincident with theaxis about 8. A signcomprising, symmetrical substantially flatVcharacters made of luminous tube elements in forms composed fof theobverse and re- "verse forms of Roman lettering conjoined in symthereofat S8, 39, d8, and 4I wheretheyv will strikeVY l metrical arrangement. Y

. 9. A sign comprisinga plurality, of groups of f fragmentarycharactersdisposed in a plurality gether presenting when whirling the forms ofsymmetrical characters composed of the obverse and reverse forms ofRoman letters conjoined in symmetrical arrangement.

10. A sign comprising, a plurality of groups of characters composed ofthe symmetric Roman letters in combination with characters formed of theasymmetric Roman letters arranged in symmetrical pairs consisting of theobverse and re- Verse forms thereof disposed in a plurality of planesmounted to rotate upon a single axis to display a plurality ofsuperimposed Words or characters.

11. A sign comprising, a plurality of devices or markings disposed in aplurality of planes mounted to rotate upon a single axis, wherein thesaid devices or markings 'are disposed in phased relationship upon theseveral planes to present when whirling the appearance of movement ofthe said devices or markings.

DON B. CARD.

